The Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun shared similar American Dreams. The characters motives seemed cohesive in each story, being that in both stories, the main characters had a dream, and all of their actions were based upon getting that dream to become reality. Tom and daisy Buchanan wanted to live a fancy, flashy, rich and happy lifestyle. To make that come true, Tom, kept the fanciest cars, lived in the “better egg”, and associated himself with high class people. Daisy decided to live a happy life by spending time with Gatsby, who made her happier than Tom. Tom went so far as to make Wilson think Gatsby killed his wife, so that his life wouldn’t defer to the level of Wilson’s. He put that thought into Wilson’s head and Wilson killed himself and Gatsby, while to and Daisy went on enjoying their lives. In A Raisin in the Sun Walter wanted so badly to not be poor. He wanted to be able to give his son, wife, mother, and sister everything they wanted and needed. So he decided that even though his mother wanted him to make a wise move with the family’s money, that he’d go out and invest it all, even the money that was going to pay for his sister’s college. So, in both stories the dreams that the characters have push them to do crazy things! They’re pushed to their limits by their dreams, but sometimes when you want something so bad you’ll do anything to get it.
But being that both of the stories took place in two different time frames, two different settings, and under two different circumstances, the American Dreams were fairly different. In The Great Gatsby having money was a usual thing, it wasn’t an American Dream it was just a part of their everyday life. In A Raisin in the Sun, Walter’s family was all African Americans, in a “white-owned” society. During those times, for blacks, to be rich, was definitely an American Dream. In one scene where Walter gave his son a few quarters his wife became upset, because she knew they couldn’t afford to just give their son that type of money. They needed every penny in their household. So wanting to be rich was surely a Dream, and Walter was certain to make it come true. Walter seemed to think money made you happier. Whereas in The Great Gatsby most of the main characters had money, but they were looking for happiness. For instance Tom and Daisy were married, with a child, and riches, but they weren’t happy because they were both having affairs. Walter’s mother just wanted a peaceful family and a nice home with rooms. She didn’t care too much for the money, only if it would get her the nice home she wanted. But when Nick described the luxuries of Gatsby’s home, like a gold toilet seat, it lets you know just how different the two American Dreams were. But no matter how different they were, both stories had characters who would kill and steal to get where they wanted to be in life,
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